Smallmouth Bass As An Invasive Species?

[flyfisher]

So just because something is a wasted cause you should forget about it and introduce new species to a non-native area?  Seems selfish to me.  I would still like to see some of the data or studies your are talking about or how there is proof that they are corrupt....sounds like a lot of conspiracy type information and that they are not doing what you want so you disagree with them.  The role of the fisheries is not to do what the constituents want in all cases it is to find the balance between making the public happy and not trashing a native fishery.  

 

Like I said earlier, you are in the wrong part of the country for smallies.  The work Colorado has done in the trout realm is outstanding and of course they are going to put their efforts towards a native fish population rather than introducing a non-native species, hoping it doesn't cause an impact elsewhere and then managing that population as well.

[Mainebass1984]

Where is the data that supports your claims ?

As I have said several times invasive species impact the entire ecosystem and change everything forever.

I find it humorous that people think they know how to manage fisheries better then the people that have spent many years in college obtaining a degree and have years of experience in the field. This is a common problem everywhere across the country. In my experience most people aren't educated on the subject or understand it fully.

Under most cases I wouldn't point out the fact that I have BS in fisheries biology, a BS in Aquaculture, and years of experience working as a fisheries biologist in Illinois, Florida, Maine, Alaska, and Vermont. 

Saving endangered species or at the very least attempting to do so is something that we must do. We are responsible for almost eradicating an entire species. Everything must be done to preserve any endangered species population even if it isn't very popular with the public.

[flyfisher]

Where is the data that supports your claims ?

As I have said several times invasive species impact the entire ecosystem and change everything forever.

I find it humorous that people think they know how to manage fisheries better then the people that have spent many years in college obtaining a degree and have years of experience in the field. This is a common everywhere across the country. In my experience most people aren't educated on the subject or understand it fully.

Under most cases I wouldn't point out the fact that I have BS in fisheries biology, a BS in Aquaculture, and years of experience working as a fisheries biologist in Illinois, Florida, Maine, Alaska, and Vermont. 

Saving endangered species or at the very least attempting to do so is something that we must do. We are responsible for almost eradicating an entire species. Everything must be done to preserve any endangered species population even if it isn't very popular with the public.

Agreed....

 

Personally if i live in colorado i am chasing trout instead of smallies anyways.

[iceintheveins]

Again like I've said. GOOGLE it and you will find that according to their own studies, killing bass hasn't helped numbers of native fish. I STRONGLY disagree with your position. But you are entitled to it. 

[Mainebass1984]

Lets stock every fish every angler wants every where they want them. Lets just forget about endangered species and let them all die out. Screw it, who cares. No harm can come from it. Its all a conspiracy anyways. Invasive species don't do any harm.

[Smiths.R]

LMB will out compete at SMB for food every single time. If you put SMB in a body of water with LMB, the LMB win. Not to say they can't co-habitate, but the LMB will win.

[gulfcaptain]

Some agree with biologists, some don't.  Some are smarter then others.  Here in S.Cal, I can tell you some of the Marine Biologists are idiots, having seen them try and catch rockfish to do surveys and want to suvey muddy bottoms they serveyed to close the rockfish as they felt it was overfished.  And one wonders when they say "look there still isn't any rockfish here".....no sh#t, they don't live in the mud, that's why they are called rockfish not mudfish, but they went to school to tell us what's best.  This example is of the ones that have more booksmarts then common sense and like their nice degree hanging on the wall.  Now others that truly love the outdoors, fish and hunt themselves, as well as manage the fisheries I have all respect for as they both have the classroom knowledge but also know how to apply that knowledge to what they do and the habitats they manage. Rough fish are just as important to a fishery as gamefish.  Without those fish the systems can crash...no forage base, no gamefish.  If the bass eat all the rough fish that are native, you either have to thin out their population and replenish and protect the rough fish, or have to stock some other non-native fish to fill in the gap.  Smallmouth have a certain lake condition that they prefer, and here in S Cal you have to head up to the mountains or northern part of the state to find them as they don't seem to take to well to some of the lakes that our LM love so much.

[Driftb]

    Smallmouth bass, Rainbow and Brown trout were all stocked by NY state into the Delaware river in the 1870's. Largemouth, walleye and musky later. I don't know if there is any record of the species that they displaced.  The main Delaware has always been too warm in Summer to supprt native brook trout.  American shad have  been spawning in the Delaware river for millions of years.   Brown and rainbow inhabit the coldwater upper reaches of the river. Smallmouth and walleye like current and live in the coolwater zone a little south of there all the way south to the lower river.  Largemouth don't compete with smallies here on the Upper  river at all.  Largemouth start moving downstream as soon as they get into the river,  and a lot of them don't stop til they get to the salt line. 

. My guess is that unless there is a good supply of cool water that the spots will hold their own. I have heard spots are stocked in water that is too warm, turbid or fertile for smallies to thrive.  Each of these species will usually find it's own favorite ecological niche especially in  the bigger bodies of water with varied conditions .  Largemouth favor still water. Spots can tolerate a variety of conditions.  Smallies are considered a coolwater species.  In the bigger bodies of water

[everythingthatswims]

No worries on smallmouth taking over, I wish it were the other way around, but largemouth always win. Watching it happen currently in my local river/stream. River is changing because of upstream development and the smallmouth aren't doing too well. Largemouth can live in a mud pit but smallies have higher living standards.